GOLF
We must be proactive. I don’t think there is any other way now there is no chemical that will gives 100% control with iprodione going this year and propiconazole next year
to be at a higher-end members course where we had enough budget and staff to continue to move the club forward, but one that wasn’t a propriety club, so I could work for people who wanted to put every bit of money back into their golf club. This what I have at Ringway.”
He went through a stringent interview process to get the position, and knew he was up against some good greenkeepers so he felt very fortunate, at thirty-seven years old, to be at Ringway as course manager. His qualifications include NVQ Level 2 sports turf, HND in Golf Course Management, and the Ohio TOP Program, plus short courses he has attended with Pitchcare and BIGGA and PA1, 2 and 6 spraying certificates.
Richie’s staff includes Gary Sykes, First Senior Greenkeeper, twenty-seven years at
Ringway, NVQ Level 3 Sportsturf, PA 1, 2 and 6; Jez Quirk, Second Senior Greenkeeper, twenty-nine years at Ringway, NVQ Level 3 Sportsturf, Chainsaw CS 30/31/32 and First Aid at Work; Matt Corbishley, First Assistant Greenkeeper, eight years at Ringway, NVQ Level 3 Sportsturf, PA 1, 2 and 6, CS 30/31/32; Steve Giles, greenkeeper, twenty- six years at Ringway, NVQ Level 2 Sportsturf; Will Cummings, greenkeeper, two years at Ringway, NVQ Level 2 Sportsturf, PA 1 and 6, CS 30/31 and First Aid at Work; Seb Dolezyczek, mechanic, ten years at Ringway, Electrical & Mechanical Engineering diploma, basic Toro and John Deere mechanic’s certificates, Hunter Grinder certified, TIG/MIG welding certificate and CS 30/31/32. All staff regularly attend greenkeeping workshops and have the basic greenkeeping Health & Safety certificate and basic First Aid certificate.
Richie has an annual subscription package with the STRI who carry out tests once a year. He uses these to put improved performance measures in place. They currently have a course architect, Frank Pont from Infinity Golf Design in Holland, working on some projects around the course. “We have got a very sensitive course with it being so old, so we like to give it that (Colt) feel when we design new features.” Fifteen of the main course’s eighteen greens are soil based. The remaining
three have been reconstructed to USGA specification with the old sod put back. “If anyone has managed that before, they will know the problems that brings with infiltration through the top and poor rooting, so we are always fighting with them. They were put in because of their position and were severely hampered greens anyway. We have built two practice facility greens as 50/50s which are really good. We used washed turf to build them; they perform well in wet conditions.”
When it comes to maintenance of the greens, the priority is plenty of aeration. Richie explains, “Anything from putting the Toro ProCore over them, slitting in the winter and verti-draining five or six times a year with the thinner tines; depths will vary depending on the hardness of the ground in the winter. When it’s soft, we try and go down to the 10 inch mark. In the summer, it tends to be
What’s in the shed
John Deere 220 pedestrian mowers x 5 John Deere 2500e triples x 2 Toro 3520 triples x 2
Greens Iron 3900 Toro Reelmaster 3100-D Sidewinder Toro Reelmaster fairway mowers x 2
mowers x 2 AFT 45 trencher Dakota topdresser
New Holland 30hp Boomer tractors x 2 Wiedenmann Terra Spike Team 400 litre sprayer Toro ProCore
PC February/March 2019 41
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